This application requests continued funding for a period of 3 years to support translational research lectures, a special interdisciplinary session, and the presentation of student/resident research at the annual meeting of the American Auditory Society (AAS). These functions were funded by NIH conference grants in 2002 and 2003, and both were highly successful. The AAS was founded in 1974 as a multi-disciplinary association whose mission is to foster dissemination of knowledge and exchange of information about hearing and balance among professionals in Otolaryngology, Hearing Science, Audiology and Industry. Since 1999, we have held our own stand-alone annual conference. The attendance at these meetings has steadily increased from less than 180 in 1999 to over 275 in 2003. The meetings represent a unique opportunity to share the latest applied, clinical research in otolaryngology, audiology and prosthetic development in a small meeting venue. [unreadable] [unreadable] While there are excellent meetings for basic research, fewer opportunities exist for the presentation of rigorous clinical research, and there is no single venue in which basic and applied research are integrated. The purpose of the translational research lectures is to facilitate the transfer of basic research findings into clinical application. The purpose of the special session is to provide a focused interdisciplinary session on one topic of current interest to the disciplines represented in the AAS. The purpose of the Mentored Student/Resident Research Poster Session is to promote the future of research in our disciplines through recognition and mentorship of doctoral students in Audiology and residents engaged in research in Otolaryngology. There has been a decline in the number of Ph.D. [unreadable] Audiology graduates, and increasingly fewer of those graduates enter academic or research careers. Research by clinician scientists in Otolaryngology has also declined in recent years, although trends are changing. We propose a poster-session venue designed to showcase and support Ph.D.-student and resident research, and to encourage individual interaction with noted scientists and mentors in Audiology, Otolaryngology, Hearing Science and Bioengineering. [unreadable] [unreadable] The invited speakers and student/resident poster session provide unique opportunities for basic scientific research to be presented in a format that will encourage its application to clinical practice and will promote future research in Hearing Science, Audiology, and Otolaryngology. Our approach also provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary discussion and cross fertilization, which should foster more productive, applied research endeavors. [unreadable] [unreadable]